Let’s Talk: Mental Health and Well-Being

Dunlace
PS has a Kindness Club. Newtonbrook SS has a Mental Health Committee. At
Lambton-Kingsway JMS, staff connect about improving student engagement. At
George B. Little PS, the youth wellness committee created a wellness mural to
raise awareness about emotions and the right to express them.

These
are just some of the ways schools are focusing on student mental health and
well-being.

Good
mental health and well-being are central to student success. It includes our
emotions, our thoughts and feelings, our ability to solve problems and overcome
difficulties, our social connections, and our understanding of the world around
us. Students feel a greater sense of well-being when they are engaged and feel
that they belong, feel safe and feel included.

Students
need our collective support to be healthy individuals and, the relationship
that students have with each other and adults is an important part of that.
Every student needs peers and a caring adult they can connect with, feel
accepted by and talk to when dealing with life’s challenges. And, research
tells us that as students age, their emotional well-being declines.

Students’
voices need to be at the centre of the discussion about how to improve their
well-being. When students and parents become involved in this process they are
more likely to develop of a sense of agency, build positive relationships and
connection with staff as they become active participants in their own schooling
experiences.

TDSB
staff are committed to providing welcoming, safe and inclusive learning
environments where every student feels they belong. We are working hard to
strengthen the adult-student connection and make meaningful decisions that
support student achievement and well-being.